







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Hello my friend, how are you? | Hola amigo mío, ¿cómo estás? |
| So, it's obvious you have no clue how much renting a house costs. | Así que, es obvio que no tienes idea de cuánto cuesta rentar una casa. |
| I don't know really, what's yours? | No sé realmente, ¿cuál es el tuyo? |
| How do you get to Brighton? | ¿Cómo llegas a Brighton? |
| Isn't that funny? | ¿No es gracioso? |
| Alright, deal! You have 3 days to think, starting now! | De acuerdo, ¡hecho! Tienes 3 días para pensarlo, ¡empezando desde ahora! |
| I think that *hand caught on fire* thing is a joke! | ¡Creo que lo de la *mano prendida en fuego* es una broma! |
| Oh yeah, it's our girls' night out tonight. | Oh, sí, esta noche es noche de chicas. |
| Maybe she really is allergic to cats, we don't know that. | Tal vez en verdad es alérgica a los gatos, eso no lo sabemos. |
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | Sí, ¡es una buena idea! |
| Bear hates being at a vet, too. | Bear odia estar en un veterinario también. |
| I don't like their chardonnay. | No me gusta su Chardonnay. |
| I like some Jamiroquai songs, but not all of them. | Y me gustan algunas canciones de Jamiroquai, pero no todas. |
| No, I'm a real estate agent. | No, yo soy agente de bienes raíces. |
| And we have to weigh everything by ourselves, etcetera. | Y tenemos que pesar todo nosotros, etcétera. |
| I can't imagine myself being on a plane for that long! | ¡No puedo imaginarme estando en un avión durante tanto tiempo! |
| Here you go sir, this is your receipt and your £20 cashback. | Aquí tiene señor, este es su recibo y su devolución de £20. |
| I need some parsley, but it looks a bit limp. | Necesito un poco de perejil pero parece un poco mustio. |
| No, but it's not good for him to take the stairs up and down everyday. | No, pero no es bueno para él subir y bajar escaleras todo el día. |
| Of course, oh, there is a half-eaten pizza in the oven. | Por supuesto, oh, hay una pizza medio comida en el horno. |